It is one of the most important places of worship for Hindus in Kerala and Tamil Nadu and is often referred to as Bhuloka Vaikuntha (Vaikuntha in the earthly realm). The central icon is a four-armed standing Vishnu carrying the conch Panchajanya, the discus Sudarshana, the mace Kaumodaki, and a lotus with a tulasi garland. This image represents the form of Vishnu as revealed to Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki around the time of his birth. Worship proceeds according to routines laid down by Adi Shankara and later written formally in the Tantric way, the inter-religious spiritual movement that arose in medieval India, by Chennas Narayanan Nambudiri. The Chennas Nambudiris are the hereditary tantris (high priests) of the Guruvayur Temple.
Rudratheertham
Guruvayur Temple tank (pond) : The temple tank (pond) on the northern side of the temple is called Rudratheertham. According to legend, for thousands of years, Lord Shiva used to bath on the southern bank of this pond. Since Shiva is also known by the name 'Rudra', the pond came to be known as Rudratheertham.
Temple Elephants
The Statue of Guruvayur Kesavan at Guruvayur
The Punnathur kotta, also known as the Anakotta (Elephant Yard in English), houses the 56 elephants belonging to the temple. This place is the home to the largest population of captive male Asian elephants in the world.
Guruvayur Keshavan was the most famous among those. The other notable elephant was Guruvayur Padmanabhan, who was the chief of Guruvayur elephants.
Festivals
Janmashtami, Kumbham Utsavam, Guruvayur Ekadasi
Contact Address: Guruvayur Devaswom, East Nada, Guruvayur, Kerala 680101
Phone: 0487 255 6335
